We’ve wrapped up another reunion. It was the usual mayhem. 3-6 year old’s discovering each other and forming best buddy relationships. Older children reveling in seeing their cousins from previous years. The teens congregating around table games, and the adults, well we cooked, ate, talked, laughed, and remembered. It was wonderful to see everyone who was able to come and we missed those who couldn’t. There was, however a huge hole in the reunion, a gap. It was the generation gap. We all felt it, the missing link. Our parents were feeling a little buffeted by the realization that they are the “older generation” and all of us were waiting for the main event – when Grandma came which of course, never happened.
But, life goes on and the other side of the coin was the stepping up of the next generation. Several of the great-grandchildren are adults with families of their own. Some of them were there and I thoroughly enjoyed and was impressed by their participation. A family can only continue something like this great thing we’ve had going for the past 20 years if each generation coming up has interest in continuing the process. I was so excited to really see that happening.
The goodby’s seemed a little more abrupt but we did see a few cousins, siblings, and parents today. All in all, it was an awesome reunion and I can’t wait for the next one. An added perk is that I found all five books I had left at a local drug store had sold, and I sold ten books to another store in town today! Yipee!
Tomorrow I have to do the tough part, leave Nebraska. Maybe this time I’ll sing the state song as I exit the state.